Canopy-carriage.



D. T. ARREL.

CANOPY CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1915.

WITNESSES INVENTQR 1 a: Mwms PErERS ca, wow-ummwlsnmumn, 1.7v c.

DAVID '1. ABREL, 0F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

CANOPY-CARRIAGE.

Lamaze.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (bet. 17, was.

Application filed March 22, 1915. Serial No. 16,186.

Canopy-Carriages, of which improvements 7 the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in canopy coverings; I havedeveloped it for the specific use of protecting race tracks from rain;and in that specific application it is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the covering when furled and outof the way; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view in section (and on smallerscale) across the race track, showing the covering extended in serviceposition; Fig. 5 is a plan view, on still smaller scale, of the coveringwhen in the extended position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view,illustrating the furling of the covering; Fig. 3 is a view inperspective illustrating a detail of the apparatus now to be described.

Referring first to Fig. 4, which as has been said shows in cross sectiona race track with the covering of my invention spread above it, it willbe seen that the surface of the track is shown to be inclined at a lowangle and to be guarded on its sides by the two fences K and H. Such areusual conditions of a race track, and it is to those conditions that Iadapt my invention.

The canopy covering is essentially a stretch of canvas or other suitablepliable material of sufficient width to extend above the track from sideto side and protect the track from rain and of proper length to servealone or in a succession of sections to protect the entire track or somuch of it as may need such protection. Upon the fence which extendsalong the higher side of the track-which incase of a closed track willbe the outside-I erect the supports and carriers for the covering whenfurled and for one margin of the covering when extended. These supportstake the form of uprights with laterally extending arms A, fully shownin Fig. 1, and diagrammatically indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. Thesesupports A may be suitably strengthened against the strains of service,as by the guy ropes indicated at S in Figs; 1 and 4. The canopy itself,shown in furled position in Fig. 1 and in spread position in Figs. 4 and5, is

. erably posts,

secured along one edge to the supports A, as is indicated in Fig. 1; itsopposite edges are provided with anchoring ropes L, and these anchorropes will ordinarily be provided with block and tackle to permit ofdrawing taut the anchored canopy.

Upon the fence H which extends along the lower side of the trackareconveniently placed a succession of runways for the ropes L; thesemay conveniently take the form of the sheave C, illustrated in. Fig. 3,and whose positions are indicated by the same reference letter C in Fig.5. Proper anchorage for the ropes Lois provided beyond the fence H, suchanchorage being indicated at E (compare, in this regard, Figs. 4 and 5).In addition to these essential parts of the canopy covering, means areprovided for the ready spreading and furling of the canopy. These meansconsist of a succession of supporting. members G, which may be ropes orlengths of any suitable material, but which as shown and as preferablyused are comparatively narrow strips of canvas. These are arranged to bealternately drawn across and removed from position above the track.Adjacent the line of fence K, and preferably within itthough the fence Kitself might serve as the supportare set a succession of supports B(compare Figs. 1, 4, and 5). These are prefsuitably 'guyed, as indicatedat VV in Fig. 1. Upon supports B are mounted rollers, on each may bewound and unwound. When unwound, the free ends of the strips G arecarried across the track, over fence H, and are secured toproperanchorage, indicated at F (compare Figs. 4 and 5).

Fig. 4 shows that the strips G are arranged to extend beneathand supportfrom beneath the main canopyl Ordinarily, as indicated in Fig. 5, anumber of the strips G will at their otherwise free ends be secured to acommon rigid rod, conveniently a length of light pipe, indicated at DD,and each length of pipe will be suitably anchored, at two or morepoints, as

When not in service the strips Gr will be wound up, in the positionindicated in Fig. 1.

Let it be supposed that the apparatus in the furled position indicatedin Fig. 1 is to'be applied to service and spread. First, the lengths ofpipe D-D are taken and carried across the track, the strips G unwinding,and over fence H and this part of which a strip G Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the of the structureis suitably anchored at F, F, the strips G being drawn taut, with blockand tackle if need be. N ext, the ropes L are carried across the track,the cover as it is thus gradually unfurled resting upon strips G. Theropes L are carried over their runways C, the anchorage E is madesecure, and if block and tackle are used (as will ordinarily be thecase) the ropes L are thus drawn until the whole canopy extends taut, orsubstantially so, from one edge which is secured to the supports A onfence K to the other edge which, passin over fence H is anchored at E. lVhen the extended canopy is to be furled, the ropes L are firstslackened and released from their anchorage E. An attendant then standsat each of the supports A, and, reaching forward above the canopy, bymeans of a hooked instrumentjM (Fig. 2) picks up one after another aline ofrings P with which the upper surface of the canopy is providedand slips them over the end of the laterally extending arms with "whichthe support A is provided. And it will be observed that the extremity ofthe arm is slightly upturned, to facilitate this furling operation andretain the rings P as they are slipped on, one after another. As theserings are slipped on the arms of supports A, the canopy will come tofurled position, hanging in folds, as is indicated in Fig. 1. It will beunderstood that the apparatus does not require the attendance of anumber of men corresponding precisely to the number of supports A. I amhere describing the operation as most readily performed. As a matter offact one man can do it all,-though slowly, of necessity. There will beas many lines of rings P as there are arms A and they will be spacedaccordingly. hen the canopy itself has thus been furled, it remains torelease the strips G from their anchorage, and by the turning of theirsupporting sheaves to wind them up, out of the way.

It will be understood that intended primarily for the protection of thesurface from rain and not for inclosing a space within which men andhorses may move about; but, manifestly, it is a matter ofproportion,whether the canopy be such as to permit such more extendedservice. Ordinarily speaking, a track slopes sufficiently from side toside to throw the surthis canopy is face water, but ordinarily the slopewill not be suificient to allow the canopy to rest directly on the twofences and so supported to serve its purpose adequately. Accordingly,the support A will ordinarily be a foot and. a half high, or thereabout.It should not be so high as to cause any undue difficulty in operation.

V understood that a succession The distance from fence to fence in arace track of ordinary size may be, in places ninety feet. Assuming thesection of canopy of Fig. 5 to be about 100 feet wide, it is about threehundred and fifty feet long; there are twelve supporting strips G, eachten feet wide, some twenty feet apart from center to center, while atthe ends the canopy is unsupported for fifty feet or more. A ace trackis ordinarily a closed track of approximately elliptical plan, and itwill be of such canopy sections as that shown in Fig. 5, with overlapping ends may cover the whole or any portion of such a track. On thecurves, of course, the canopy sections may, if desired be taperedshorter along one edge than along the other. The particular dimensionssuggested are merely in the way of exemplification, and are not intendedto limit in any degree the invention.

While the strips G will undoubtedly serve in some degree, and may bemade to serve in a very appreciable degree, to reinforce the canopy andstrengthen it from sagging and bellying under the weight of rain uponit, their primary use lies in facilitating the spreading and furling ofthe canopy, in the manner already explained. The anchorage of course maybe such that tension may be increased as the canopy and the strips Gstrctchwhen wet and weighted with water.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a canopy structure the combination of two parallel canopy supportsa series of rollers mounted adjacent to one of said supports, a seriesof strips of flexible material secured one to each of said rollers andcapable of being wound thereon and unwound therefrom, anchorage for saidstrips adjacent the opposite one of the said parallel supports, and acanopy covering supported along one edge by the support to which thesaid rollers stand adjacent.

2. In a canopy structure the combination of parallel supports, a canopysecured along one edge to one of said supports, anchor ropes secured atintervals along the oppositefree edge of said canopy, a succession ofguide sheaves secured upon the second of said parallel supports and atintervals corresponding to the spacing of the ropes along the free edgeof said canopy, and anchorage adjacent said second named sup port.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID T. ARREL.

Witnesses BAYARD H. CHRIsTY, Francis J. TOMASSON.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

